Card game:The Game of Peter Coddle's Trip to New York

Parker Brothersca. 1890

The Strong National Museum of Play

A very early and popular card game was a version of "Peter Coddle and his Visit to New York." More of a party or group amusement than a standard game, it involves one player telling (reading) a story. Other players, having drawn "cards," or slips of paper printed with nouns, fill in the blanks of the story as the reader arrives at them. Hilarity often results from the nonsensical story. The "Peter Coddle" version may have been developed by New York's McLoughlin Brothers, but other game makers created their own version, often spelling the name differently, or changing the city. Images of Peter on the game box cover often present him as a country bumpkin astounded by the city sights. Mad Libs is a modern game which operates in a somewhat similar way.

Parker Brothers' take on the Peter Coddle game is spelled "Peter Coddle's." The box cover image differs from the standard iconography. The Peter character pictured is more of a young boy, who is gaping up at a department store.